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Stem Cell Initiative Narrowly Passes

By Kelley Weiss

Kansas City, MO – Missouri voters narrowly passed Amendment 2, the controversial ballot question asking voters to amend the state constitution to protect federally approved stem cell research. KCUR's Kelley Weiss reports.

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I'm Kelley Weiss. . .Spokesperson for supporters of the measure, Missouri Coalition for Lifesaving Cures, Sandra Aust, says it was an extremely close race but in the end it passed because voters believe in the potential cures embryonic stem cell research might hold.

Sandra Aust: "This has been a hard fought and hard won campaign. I do believe that all of us shares one very basic thing in common that we do care about the health and well being of the people of Missouri."

Julia Warton, spokesperson for the opponents, Missourians Against Human Cloning, says many people voted against the measure because they thought it was deceptive.

But, in the end there weren't enough no votes to fail the ballot question that will prevent state legislators from criminalizing the use of embryonic stem cells to pursue cures for diseases like Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and diabetes.

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